The Story
Born the daughter of a prominent chief, Nonhle struggles to make sense of the world and to live a normal life, until a chance meeting with a stranger makes her question everything she has normalised, and sets her on a journey to discover herself and the true meaning of what love is, but not without everything that could go wrong going wrong.
Available in online and print formats
BOOKS
What Love Is (1)
Nonhle's life is pretty much decided for her because of who she is, until a stranger at a party inspires her to challenge the status quo, setting her on a journey of healing, self-discovery, and growth, but not before everything that can go wrong goes wrong.
What Love Is (2)
Nonhle finds herself having to survive a traumatic incident, a recent betrayal, heartache, and changes in her family. A new love interest and an old one or two also show up, but well-kept secrets threaten her quest for true love. Will she ever find herself and the true meaning of what love is?
Babusi (1)
Who is Methembe? And who are the Khumalos? His brother, Babusi tells us in this elaborately embroidered, moving tale of loss, trauma, brotherhood, and kingship, which takes a deep dive into the effects of unresolved childhood trauma on young men.
Law of Addiction (1)
Mihlali gets to tell her story and it is one of confusion, entanglement, crime, the law, and addiction as she navigates a tumultuous relationship with the man she believes to be the love of her life, despite constant warnings from friends and family.
MEET THE AUTHOR
Hello there!
I’m Nkanyiso Siziba: author, actress, and storytelling enthusiast from Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.
Storytelling is my escape, my respite from the overwhelming pressures of life, helping me work through ‘stuff’ and find my voice.
Growing up, I struggled to see myself represented in the literature that was around me, and it was only when I was older and got exposed to books by the likes of Cynthia Jele, Dudu Busani-Dube, Tshepi M, Trisha Thomas… and so on, that I learned that black women’s stories matter and found the inspiration to tell my own.
Besides writing, I watch quite a lot of T.V., edit scripts, act, and podcast.
Why WHAT LOVE IS?
This book explores the inner workings of narcissistic abuse in intimate relationships to validate the experiences of survivors and shed light on its effects on their mental health.
According to Dr. Ramani Durvasula the fight against narcissistic abuse must be made a human rights issue. Many people oftentimes fail to show up in the world in the best version of themselves possible due to unresolved childhood trauma and toxic relationships – family, friendship, or intimate.
This book deals with the confusion common in toxic relationships by helping the reader learn what love truly is, what it is not, and what it can never be. It is dating advice in a love story and a piece of my heart to survivors of narcissistic abuse.
What Readers Say...
YOU MATTER
YOUR FEELINGS MATTER | YOUR THOUGHTS MATTER | YOUR DREAMS MATTER
ABOUT LUMIÈRE BOOKS
At Lumière Books, we believe in the power of storytelling to help black women find themselves represented in literature around them, and thereby community and the validation of their experiences, to ultimately enhance their sense of dignity, self-worth, and overall well-being.
Representation is important. It tells us that our stories matter-that WE matter.
Literature provides women with an escape from the daily challenges they face and also validates their experiences.
It is in reading that we also find community and like-minded people with whom to belong. All this is important for our mental health and wellness.
Reading is self-care.
At Lumière, we create authentic African stories for and about black men and women, drawing inspiration from real-life events, people, and places, to create relatable characters, plots, and worlds and produce well-told, well-written, and relatable stories in easy-to-read online and physical books.
So go ahead, pick any one of our books, read, connect, belong!
We also encourage and help authors to document, share, and own their stories, craft narratives, and lead audiences through their specific experiences and perspectives, by offering book publishing services and storytelling masterclasses tailor-made to suit African writers.
From the outline to your first draft, and all the way to publishing, we help you find your voice and tell your story, because your story matters and it is worth telling.
Our Supporters
